Well at least we know what happened to Samual and the rest when the disappeared in the flash of light that surrounded Markum.
Oh, wait I should probably back up. I'm getting ahead of myself again.
Markum was apparently Kiri-Jolith's avatar. After he went into the Tomb, killed the Medusa (hope it wasn't "The Medusa", someone would be upset I think) and retrieved the lance he was surrounded by this brown and white light. He was able to speak with the others for a few moments, but frankly I was too startled to really talk to him at that moment.
That and the voices were nigh on deafening at that moment. To top it off, he didn't even look like himself, he's been acting differently, we both have and I know it, but he just didn't look like Markum.
So, Kiri-Jolith/Markum talked to everyone for a little bit, answered some questions then it was like he was exploding in a burst of light. Markum fell to the ground and while I would usually have ran to his side to make sure that he was ok, I was froze in place by what I was hearing.
Thank the Gods that he was not injured.
But back to the Hell Hounds, once this happened, the Knight Haunts that had been Samual and the others disappeared. We all assumed that they had done their duty and they had ascended with Kiri-Jolith to the Dome of Creation where the God dwells.
So we headed back towards Foghaven Keep quite aware that there were at least one hydra and possibly two in the area.
We were not expecting the trebuchet stone to almost hit us.
Apparently not only had Kiri-Jolith left, but he had some how managed to restore the Hell Hounds to life, and they were on our side again.
They had either been told of, or seen the hydra that was stalking us and since Kiri-Jolith left them at the Keep, they decided to use the siege engines to good effect.
Except it just about scared the crap out of me.
Thankfully we managed to make relatively quick work of the two hydras, luring them out of the woods and attacking them with a combination of magic and might. The trebuchet would have helped if they could have figured out how to aim the thing.
We are not apparently heading towards Daltigoth, with the plans to ask around a bit about the Hammer of Kharas. From there we are moving eastward, through Qualinesti Forest, over the mountains around Thorbardin and then heading northward, at least unless something changes between here and there. We know that we have at least one artifact in the party and we are heading toward the holy site of that deity to return it.
I have been told there are two other artifacts with us. I'm even told that I know where one of them is, but every time I try to think of where it might be, the location slips out of my mind like a fish slipping out of a net. I know that the harp is safe, but I don't know where it is. I just hope that when the time comes, I do not disappoint Branchala.
I will have to figure out what sort of face I will wear while I am in Daltigoth. Last time we passed this way, we found out about a warrant out for my arrest thanks to that foreign God, Ares.
Maybe a drow? It might be interesting and won't that surprise Dal.
